Lane Kiffin: "I don't know that there's a huge jump into the Big Ten...I think going to the SEC is a whole 'nother animal. It's a different world."

BleedGopher

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per CBS:

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin took a playful shot at the Big Ten during his statements at SEC Media Days on Monday in Atlanta. When asked about how Texas, Oklahoma, UCLA and USC will transition into their new leagues, Kiffin couldn't help but draw a distinction between the two situations.

"I mean, I just say how it is, I don't know that there's a huge jump into the Big Ten," Kiffin said. "I think going to the SEC is a whole 'nother animal. It's a different world. Said it for a long time: the SEC just means more. And it does. It's different, it's ahead of the game."

Twelve of the last 16 national champions were from the SEC, with a 13th set to enter the league in Texas. The Big Ten has only produced one national champion in the College Football Playoff era: Ohio State in 2014. The 2002 Buckeyes also won the championship, but no other Big Ten team has won a title in the unified national championship era (since 1998).

Additionally, Kiffin focused in on name, image and likeness during his time at the lectern. Kiffin was asked what works best in the NIL world of college football and was candid about what he believes is really driving things in the SEC.

"It's like a payroll in baseball," Kiffin said. "What teams win over a long period of time? Teams that have high payrolls and can pay players a lot. We're in a situation not any different than that. I said day one, you legalize cheating, so get ready for the people that have the most money to get players. Now you have it. It is what it is."


Go Gophers!!
 


I would KILL to see a B1G-SEC challenge in FB during the regular season, similar to the ACC-B1G in bball. Match 'em up based on conference finish the year before and let it rip. I might be wrong, but I have a feeling it would be very close every year. SEC might win the majority of the top 2 or 3, but I think the B1G would do very well elsewhere. Just last year we saw PSU beat Auburn and Purdue beat Tennessee on basically their home field. Iowa and Kentucky came down to the last possession in Florida and PSU (who should NOT have been in that game) hung with Arkansas in Florida.
 

I would KILL to see a B1G-SEC challenge in FB during the regular season, similar to the ACC-B1G in bball. Match 'em up based on conference finish the year before and let it rip. I might be wrong, but I have a feeling it would be very close every year. SEC might win the majority of the top 2 or 3, but I think the B1G would do very well elsewhere. Just last year we saw PSU beat Auburn and Purdue beat Tennessee on basically their home field. Iowa and Kentucky came down to the last possession in Florida and PSU (who should NOT have been in that game) hung with Arkansas in Florida.
Make it in November or December and we can host.
 

The SEC is a different world, alright. Not necessarily in the football sense.

I point to Texas A&M and Mizzou, two Big 12 also-rans who showed up and immediately improved. A&M went 11-2 in their first SEC campaign and coaxed Johnny Football to a Heisman. Mizzou also won a division and had their best teams in many decades on arrival.

Meanwhile, a much more historically successful Nebraska program joined the Big Ten while still cranking out 9 win seasons. That ended fast.
 


My gut says that I agree with Kiffen. I think the top 3-4 teams favor the SEC. I think the rest are on equal footing and maybe favor the SEC.
 

Kiffin was fired by USC, so I would expect him to downplay their greatness. Kiffin is a guy that I have never liked. Always hoping for the worst for him on the field.
 

Like he said they legalized cheating which is what the SEC was well known for. It will be interesting to see if the power stays centralized in the SEC now that other programs can pay.
 

I would KILL to see a B1G-SEC challenge in FB during the regular season, similar to the ACC-B1G in bball. Match 'em up based on conference finish the year before and let it rip. I might be wrong, but I have a feeling it would be very close every year. SEC might win the majority of the top 2 or 3, but I think the B1G would do very well elsewhere. Just last year we saw PSU beat Auburn and Purdue beat Tennessee on basically their home field. Iowa and Kentucky came down to the last possession in Florida and PSU (who should NOT have been in that game) hung with Arkansas in Florida.
It would be just like the Big Ten East/West. I'll debate anyone that from top to bottom the Big Ten West is way better than the Big Ten East. The East has Ohio State which has led to them dominating the conference championship series.

The SEC would win the top 2-3 games and the Big Ten would win the majority of the rest.
 




Like he said they legalized cheating which is what the SEC was well known for. It will be interesting to see if the power stays centralized in the SEC now that other programs can pay.

A quote from the inimitable Charles Barkley during one of TNT's halftime NBA night discussions:

Setup: The team (Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson) were broadcasting a game with the Dallas Mavs where Dirk Nowitzki was lighting it up. Barkley told a story of taking a very good team of traveling youth stars to Europe where they played a German youth team featuring Nowitzki prior to his pro days. Nowitzki scored 50 points on them so Barkley approached him after the game with an offer.

Barkley: "Son, I will give you $50,000 right now if you promise to play at Auburn."

Kenny: "Chuck! Isn't that illegal?"

Barkley: "Oh, hell, it's the SEC! If you're not cheating, you're not trying."
 

I would KILL to see a B1G-SEC challenge in FB during the regular season, similar to the ACC-B1G in bball. Match 'em up based on conference finish the year before and let it rip. I might be wrong, but I have a feeling it would be very close every year. SEC might win the majority of the top 2 or 3, but I think the B1G would do very well elsewhere. Just last year we saw PSU beat Auburn and Purdue beat Tennessee on basically their home field. Iowa and Kentucky came down to the last possession in Florida and PSU (who should NOT have been in that game) hung with Arkansas in Florida.
If they wanted to make TV games people would watch, this would be a much better and simpler idea than radically realigning historic conferences.

If they had a B1G-SEC challenge Saturday in week 2 or 3 that might be the best ratings week all year until the final rivalry week.
 

If they wanted to make TV games people would watch, this would be a much better and simpler idea than radically realigning historic conferences.

If they had a B1G-SEC challenge Saturday in week 2 or 3 that might be the best ratings week all year until the final rivalry week.
Oh my gosh yes... They'd absolutely clean up. TV would be falling all over themselves to broadcast this.
 







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